National Parks of the Sierra Nevada: Yosemite, King's Canyon and Sequoia

Dinner: Please plan to arrive at ECCO between 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Unfortunately, our staff may not be available to assist outside of those hours. After check-in, take time to relax before our get-acquainted social hour. During our social hour, we will have a short orientation time to help answer your questions and properly welcome you to our home. Dinner follows at 6:00 p.m.

Evening: A short program of introductions and program information follows dinner. We are pleased to show a short video highlighting the beauty of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, which are our destinations for tomorrow. The rest of the evening is left free for you to relax and recover from your day's journey.

Activity note: Light exercise available prior to breakfast (walking, gardening, yoga, etc.). Our bus ride from ECCO to Sequoia/Kings Canyon is about 2 hours long. Enjoy interpretation provided by our Study Leader, Shirley Spencer. Enjoy the adventure of leaving the rolling foothills, traversing the thriving crops and farms of the central valley, and then climbing back up to Hume Lake, where we will be lodging. Walking up to 6 miles over the course of 4 different stops, distances vary at each stop.

Breakfast: Breakfast in Lyles Dining Hall. An ECCO breakfast buffet may include French toast, quiche, omelette or pancakes accompanied by potatoes and sausage or bacon. Standard items include eggs, hot/cold cereals, fruit, toast or muffins and yogurt and granola.

Morning: Board bus for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We will discuss and explore the 7 botanical zones of Kings Canyon. You will have opportunity to compare and contrast the three parks. In addition, we will discuss the histories of the three parks.

Lunch: We will have lunch at the General Grant Tree

Afternoon: We will talk about the "Floral Life Zones of the Sierra Nevada" as we explore Kings Canyon. Field trip excursions may include Grizzly Falls, Roaring River Meadow and Muir Rock.

Dinner: Dinner at Hume Lake

Evening: 7:00 p.m. - Astronomy evening program the study leader will help us navigate the night sky through stories, constellation finding and exciting facts.

Activity note: Light exercise available prior to breakfast (walking, gardening, yoga, etc.). Our bus ride today will be roughly 45 minutes each way. Walking distances may exceed 5 miles.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be at Hume Lake

Morning: Depart for field trip to Congress Loop which includes General Sherman Tree, the largest mass tree in the world.

Lunch: Enjoy a sack lunch at the Giant Forest Museum.

Afternoon: Field trip continues to various nearby locations which include interpretive hikes of ancient groves, wildlife abundant meadows, and spectacular views of the Great Western Divide.

Dinner: Dinner at Hume Lake

Evening: 7:00 p.m. - Evening Programs are optional, but usually highly valued as an entertaining and educational cap to the day. Presentations could range from a live animal presentation, living history performance, musical or artistic guests, or lectures on human and cultural history of the area. Our presenters are professionals who enjoy expanding guest's knowledge on Yosemite.

Activity note: Light exercise available prior to breakfast (walking, gardening, yoga, etc.). Our bus ride from Sequoia/Kings Canyon to ECCO is about 2 hours long. After Lunch we will depart for Glacier Point, an additional hour and a half long drive each way. Walking up to 2 miles at an elevation of 7,700 ft. reaching an elevation of 8,100 ft.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be at Hume Lake.

Morning: We will depart for ECCO.

Lunch: Lunch in Lyles Dining Hall

Afternoon: We will depart for Glacier Point in Yosemite. Take a walk up to Sentinel Dome where you can view not only Yosemite Valley, but miles and miles of scenery all the way to Mt. Diablo in the coastal range. Our field trip guide will share not just the geologic significance of the valley below as well as the political history of the very significant look out. Depart for ECCO at 4:30 p.m.

Dinner: Dinner in Lyles Dining Hall

Evening: 7:30 p.m. - Evening Programs are optional, but usually highly valued as an entertaining and educational cap to the day. Presentations could range from a live animal presentation, living history performance, musical or artistic guests, or lectures on human and cultural history of the area. Our presenters are professionals who enjoy expanding guest's knowledge on Yosemite.

Activity note: Light exercise available prior to breakfast (walking, gardening, yoga, etc.). Our bus ride to and from Yosemite 3 hours long, roughly 35 miles each way. Getting on/off shuttle. Walking up to 3 miles on mostly flat ground in Yosemite Valley, both paved and unpaved.

Breakfast: Breakfast in Lyles Dining Hall

Morning: Board bus for Yosemite National Park (exact destination to be determined, depending on weather conditions); 8:00 a.m. Bus departs for Yosemite.This will be a big day with a first stop at Tunnelview. This is one of the most photographed places on earth. We will then continue on to Bridalveil Fall, the Ahwahnee Hotel, and Yosemite Valley Visitors Center.

Lunch: Sack lunch in the park

Afternoon: After a tour of the world famous Ahwahnee Hotel, enjoy some free time in Yosemite Valley. Ride the free shuttle and visit any or all destinations that suit your fancy. Meet the ECCO bus at the predetermined location and ride back to ECCO for dinner.

Dinner: Dinner in Lyles Dining Hall

Evening: 7:00 p.m. - Evening Programs are optional, but usually highly valued as an entertaining and educational cap to the day. Presentations could range from a live animal presentation, living history performance, musical or artistic guests, or lectures on human and cultural history of the area. Our presenters are professionals who enjoy expanding guest's knowledge on Yosemite.

Activity note: Light exercise available prior to breakfast (walking, gardening, yoga, etc.). Room check-out at 9:00 AM.

Breakfast: Breakfast in Lyles Dining Hall

Morning: Class - Discuss present-day national park issues

Lunch: 12:00 p.m. - Farewell lunch in Lyles Dining Hall. We hate to say "goodbye," but it's that time. We've left you with enough time to plan another day in Yosemite National Park or the opportunity to explore other areas of our beautiful Sierra Nevada--perhaps Nelder Grove, the Scenic Byway or the quaint town of Mariposa. We hope you'll come back again to enjoy another of our programs. Thank you very much for joining us this week. We hope to see you again!